What to do if you forget the unlock code of your Android

Nowadays, the Android phones allow you to add security measures biometrics (your fingerprint or your face) to lock them and keep them away from the hands and prying eyes. But it is also possible that you have not wanted to use these barriers and have chosen to use classic solutions such as PIN codes or patterns to unlock. In this last case, imagine that you forget it. doHow to unlock your phone now? There are different solutions to that problem, but first I am obliged to warn you that you probably have to delete all its contents and leave it as if acabases buy it.

If you have Android 5.0 or higher

If you are a user of Android 5.0 or any higher version (the most likely case if you purchased your device from 2017) unfortunately you’re faced with the worst possible scenario. With the release of version 5.0 of its mobile operating system, Google removed the possibility to use the Google account to recover your phone in case of forgetfulness.

If you have activated Google Smart Lock may be a possibility of salvation. This system was implemented precisely in Android 5.0, and what that does is unlock the phone in locations key, or when certain devices are connected to the terminal. If you have it configured matter resolved.

Some manufacturers have an option that allows you to unlock the phone from a browser. In the case of Samsung for example is called Find My Mobile, and you need to log in to the browser with the same Samsung account that you have on your terminal.

If you do not set up Google Smart Lock on your time, or if your manufacturer does not provide any unlocking tool through the web browser, you get the idea that you will have to reset the device completely to get control of it again.

How to do a hard reset on Android

Hard-reset from recovery

Once confirmed the worst-possible scenario, there are two form of to do a hard reset or full erase of the terminal: from the recovery or from the web Find my device Google.

How to do a hard reset from the Recovery

If you do it from the recoveryyou’ll have to turn the phone off in the first place and, second, to press a combination of buttons specific to enter this mode. Let’s see below a few combinations from different manufacturers:

• Google Pixel and Google Nexus: press the volume down button and keep. Press the power button until the terminal boot.
• HTC: press the buttons raise and lower volume. Without releasing, press the power button until the device boot.
• Samsung Galaxy S8 and S9: press the button of volume up and Bixby and maintain. Press the power button until the terminal turns on. Release the power button when the Samsung logo appears on screen and the rest of the buttons when you see the Android blue.
• Samsung Galaxy S7 and above: press the buttons volume up and down, the physical button and the power. Keep up to enter the recovery.
• Sony: hold the button of volume up when you turn on the device when it appears the logo of Sony and the light of the LED turns amber, pink or orange.
• LG: press and hold the power button and the volume down until you see the recovery menu on the screen.
• Motorola: press and hold the buttons volume down and power until the device turns on.
• OnePlus: follows the same formula that Motorola.

Once inside the Recovery mode, you’ll just have to find the option Wipe data / factory reset with the volume buttons and select it with the power on. Then, let the device to work up to that will indicate on the screen that it has finished. Restart your terminal and you should find the phone as when you bought it. issue resolved… And lost data.

Option Find my device, Google

Your second alternative is to go to the website Find my device Google. Log in to Google through the browser using the same account configured in the terminal that you want to reset. When you do, you’ll see this screen:

View of devices associated with a Google account

Looking for the specific device that you want to unblock in the list and click on its name. You are asked to enter your account password to verify who you are. Once you do, on the next screen click on the option Consider deleting the content of the device and then in Yes, delete:

Erasing the device in the web

The phone will restart automatically with the confiuración factory and all data deleted. When you do, you’ll have to re-configure it in the usual way. Be sure to turn on Google’s Smart Lock so that it does not happen again this in the future.

If you have Android 4.4 or lower

In the unlikely event that you have a version of Android lower than 5.0 (unlikely because of the low percentage of devices that have versions as old as Android installed currently), so you’ve got a lot more easy.

The only thing you have to do is enter the code or the pattern wrong five times, after which the device will display the message Forgot your password and will allow you to use your Google account to receive a code.

Later enters in to your Google account and enter the code that you have received. You will now have unlocked your phone, and you can make a backup of everything before you reset the content to reset your security settings.